Combined advertising device and puzzle



JuEy 3, 1934. e. w. NISBET COMBINED ADVERTISING DEVICE AND PUZZLE FiledDec. 28, 1953 Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECOlHBINED ADVERTISING DEVICE AND PUZZLE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to puzzles, and especially to a combinedadvertising device and puzzle.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved or novel form ofpuzzle-body of convenient size and shape to receive and hold anadvertising card or cards in position to form part of the puzzle and todisplay the advertising matter to the persons who manipulate the puzzle.

Another object is to provide a puzzle of this character that is capableof being manufactured so cheaply that advertisers can use them ineificiently and economically advertising their respective commoditiesthereon.

Another object is to provide an advertising puzzle of such characterthat it is adaptable to numerous shapes so as to be useful and practicalin advertising numerous and various commodities without departure fromthe general characteristics of the invention.

Other objects and important features are pointed out or implied in thefollowing details of description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a combined advertising device and puzzlemade in accordance with one form of the invention, a part being brokenaway at the lower-right.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but the advertising card or sheetbeing omitted, a part being broken out at the lower-left.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but having theadvertising card or sheet in place as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing a 3-piece constructioninstead of the 'l-piece construction shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front view showing a different form of the invention, or adifferent application thereof while embodying an indicating or guidingfeature that may also be applied to the other forms.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein the similar referencenumerals refer to similar parts in the several views, the inventionconsists in the construction and arrangement or combination of elementsthat will now be described as follows:

In a broad sense, the puzzle comprises a body having a concealedtortuous passage therein and free to be turned by the hands of a person,and a weight confined in said passage and movable by gravity therealongto and from a point designated as a goal, said body having means forindicating arrival of the weight at the goal.

The body of the puzzle is preferably flat and formed of layers orlaminations of sheet mate- .also to contend with the rial such as wood,fibre-board, paste-board, cardboard, composition, or even metal wherethe devices are made small and die-cast. For instance, in Fig. 3, theparts 10 and 11 are indicated as being made of fibrous sheet material,and in Fig. 4, the molded part 10a is indicated as being plasticcomposition, plaster-Paris, or the like. The fibrous sheets 10 and 11are formed with through-slots 12, 13 and 14, in sheet 10, and 15, 16 and1'7 in sheet 11, so it is seen that there are two sets of these slots,each set in a different plane from the other. These parts 10 and 11 areglued, cemented or otherwise secured on the central sheet 18 which isformed with holes 19 that communicate with the slots 12 to 1'7 whichhave their inner sides closed by the sheet 18 so that they constitutegrooves that are interconnected through the openings 19 to form acontinuous tortuous passage that terminates in goals 20 which arevisibly marked by openings 76 or windows in the outer sheets oradvertising cards 21.

At 22 is indicated a ball or weight which may be of any solid materialor of mercury, the latter used only in case the windows 21a are covered80' with transparent material. This weight, if of solid material, cannotpass through the openings 21a which are of smaller diameter than theball or weight 22, but can be seen through these openings when at therespective goals. The weight is caused, by gravity, to pass along thetortuous passage (including the openings 19) by the user turning thepuzzle in a succession of proper directions, and the puzzling part ofthe operation is to know what the proper directions are, for the userhas not only to contend with the bends in the respective slots orgrooves, but holes 19 which require that the device shall be tilted inopposite directions that are quite different from the directionsrequired to cause the weight to pass along the grooves; so while itmight be possible, by chance, to cause the weight to pass from goal togoal by shaking and turning the device, it is preferable to provide achart or guide such as will 1 0 presently be described, or a similar oneon a separate card, so that the puzzle will be a test of skill ratherthan a mere chance-operated device. It should be understood that theouter sheets or advertising cards 21 cover and conceal the tor- 1' 5tuous passage with exception of the parts of the goals that are visiblethrough the windows 21a, and that these advertising sheets or cards maycover the entire main surfaces or sides of the slotted members, as inFig. 5, or may cover only the intermediate parts as in Figs. 1, 3 and 4;and in the latter case, a depression is provided, as at 23, of Fig. 2and Fig. 3, or as at 23a of Fig. 4. In Figs. 2 and 3, the depression isthe result of marginal sheets 24 having the main intermediate part outout to form an opening of a size and shape to conform to that of theadvertising card or sheet 21 to be fitted therein; whereas, in Fig. 4,the raised marginal parts 240; are molded integrally with the member 10awhich also has the parallel sets of channels or grooves andintercommunicating holes 19 formed. therein during the operation ofmolding or casting. Inasmuch as I have shown the slots and holes in Fig.4 of the same respective shapes as in Fig. 3, the same referencenumerals are applied to them; but it should be understood that there ispractically no limit to the variations that may be made in the shapes,lengths, and relations of the slots or grooves that combine with theholes 19 to form the tortuous passage.

Referring now to Fig. 5, wherein the outer sheet or advertising card213: represents a wheeltire on a carrying disc, it is seen that thecourse of. the tortuous passage is indicated by a tortuous arrangementof lines 25 that connectwith the goal-windows 21a and with dottedcircles 26 that show the locations of the holes 19. With this guidingarrangement, it would be comparatively easy to pass the weight from goalto goal it theweight could be seen as it travels, but inasmuch as theouter sheets are opaque, and inasmuch as the guiding arrangement doesnot indicate which set of channels is in one plane, and which in adiilerent plane, it is quite a puzzling operation to cause the weight toprogress toward an elected goal without many retrogressions of theweight.

From the foregoing descriptions in connection with these several formsof the invention, it is seen that the invention is not limited to theseforms, for various changes may be made within the scope of the inventiveideas as implied and claimed.

Means other than windows may be provided to indicate the arrival of theweight at either goal.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A puzzle comprising a central sheet having holes therethrough, twothrough-slotted sheets secured flat against opposite sides of saidcentral sheet in such position that the slots thereof are in opencommunciation with said holes and thereby in open communication with oneanother so as to form a continuous tortuous passage, outer sheetssecured flat against the respective through-slotted sheets in positionto conceal said slots, and a weight in and movable along said tortuouspassage to a point designated as a goal, means being provided toindicate the arrival of said weight at said goal.

2. A puzzle comprising an integrally molded or cast fiat body havingsets of grooves in opposite sides thereof and having holes therethroughin open communication with the grooves of both sets in proper relationto form a continuous tortuous passage, said body having raised marginalparts on opposite sides and surrounding depressed intermediate surfacesof that portion of the body which contains said tortuous passage outersheets disposed flat against and secured to opposite sides of said bodyand against said depressed intermediate surfaces in position to concealsaid grooves and holes, a weight in said tortuous passage and movable bygravity through said holes from one to another of said grooves and alongsaid grooves to a point designated as a goal, means being provided toindicate the arrival of said weight at said goal.

3. A puzzle comprising a body having a concealed tortuous passage andbeing freely turnable in alldirections by the hands of a person, aweight in said passage and movable therealong by gravity to a pointdesignated as a goal, said body having a raised marginal partsurrounding a depressed intermediate part that contains said tortuouspassage, and an outer plate normally secured on. said depressedintermediate part to conceal said passage and confine said weighttherein, means being provided to indicate the arrival of said weight atsaid goal.

GEORGE W. NISBET.

